The MV Hondius cruise ship is pictured off the port of Praia, Cape Verde on May 6, 2026.AFP via Getty Images

Hantavirus death ship: Canary Islands leader opposes Tenerife dock plan – POLITICO

by · POLITICO

The president of Spain’s Canary Islands on Wednesday pushed back against plans to allow a cruise ship suffering a deadly onboard hantavirus outbreak to dock in Tenerife.

Regional President Fernando Clavijo also demanded an "urgent meeting" with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to discuss the issue.

The hantavirus outbreak has already killed 3 of the roughly 150 passengers on the MV Hondius. The disease is typically linked to exposure to infected rodent droppings, but the WHO believes rare human-to-human transmission may have taken place aboard the cruise.